cant take my PCs noise anymore

SpacemanSpiffVT · Oct 30, 2002

hey fellas, i recently moved into a apt and have to have my pc in my room(roommates) and my pc is making it hard for me to sleep.....
its a retail xp 1800 , fan and heat sink
i think the heatsink fan is what is causing most of the noise in the system, as i have enermax adjustable fans (intake and outake) and they seem pretty quiet... and i have a turbolink (channelwell) psu... it might be loud as well

but i think the heatsink fan is the main culprit. can i just change the fan, and get a quieter one(lower dbas,etc) w/o losing alotta cooling......... do you think that will help at all....

and/or if its easy, can i change the psu fan? will that help? i dont really wanna buy a new enermax or whateva

links and cheap prices would be much appreciate too

bozo1 · Oct 30, 2002

I'd replace the heatsink with something like a Thermalright AX-7 (assuming it will fit on your mobo) and pair that with another adjustable 80mm fan. That way you can dial in whatever noise/performance level you want.

SpacemanSpiffVT · Oct 30, 2002

i would just prefer to replace the fan on the heatsink,im afraid to take off the heatsink, and its cheaper........
wouldnt that help tho?

dszd0g · Oct 30, 2002

It would help more to replace it with a better heat sink. If you install a quieter (slower, less air flow) fan on the current heat sink you may not have sufficient cooling.
If you install a good heatsink like the Thermalright AX-7 or SLK-800, you should be able to have the fan run slower and have sufficient cooling.

I recommend the YS/Tech rheostat 80mm fan if you get the AX-7 or SLK-800. I have an SLK-800 with it and even set on maximum it isn't that loud. I can have it set pretty low without getting lockups, I just prefer my system running cooler.

RayThunderEarth · Oct 30, 2002

thanks. i have the same problem too. i think i must replace the fan . thx

mooseAndSquirrel · Oct 30, 2002

one thing I'd suggest is unplugging all components, then short the power supply connector so it'll turn on without connection to the motherboard. Now, see how loud just the power supply is. Chances are it's the main culprit. Then start adding one fan at a time and see where the noise levels go. Finally. add the hard disks (they can be noisy too). It was too hard for me to tell which component was making noise when they were all running simultaneously.

For me on my Athlon system I was surprised to learn the fan on the northbridge chip was one of the loudest (after the PSU). I replaced the fan in my PSU with a pc power and cooling "silencer" and the northbridge fan with a passive cooling heatsink from Zalman. It's now very close to my P4 rig and both are darn near silent.

I don't overclock and I had definitely gone overboard on fans in my first rig. I now prefer silence over some gut-level warm and fuzzy over temperatures. I think the Athlon is fine into the 80'sC, so as long as you stay in the 50s I don't see the problem. The P4, for me anyway, wins this battle - very quiet system that stays in the low 30s temperature.

SpacemanSpiffVT · Oct 30, 2002

ok.... a few things.... is there a guide or something on how to replace the psu fan.... what sizes i need etc......if thats the main culprit, then ill just try that and see what happens

also.... ive heard alot of good things about The SVC GC68 heatsink, http://www.svcompucycle.com/newsvcgc3280.html , what do you guys think of that? (its alot cheaper) and if you think its good... should i go with a quieter fan? if yes, which?

xXgambitXx · Oct 30, 2002

Originally posted by: SpacemanSpiffVT
ok.... a few things.... is there a guide or something on how to replace the psu fan.... what sizes i need etc......if thats the main culprit, then ill just try that and see what happens

also.... ive heard alot of good things about The SVC GC68 heatsink, http://www.svcompucycle.com/newsvcgc3280.html , what do you guys think of that? (its alot cheaper) and if you think its good... should i go with a quieter fan? if yes, which?

1.) i've seen some guides before, don't know where off the top of my head, just do a google search for power supply fan mod guide or something. just measure what you got now for sizes, it's probably just an 80mm on the back. i found this to be very easy, i just spliced a low cfm panaflo into the wires for the old fan.

2.) i hear good things about that Heat Sink too. pair it up with a low CFM fan, something around 20 or 30 CFM would suffice. i have an AX-7 HS w/ a 24 CFM panaflo on my XP1800 and it never goes above 115 F. Also DEAD SILENT.

Idoxash · Oct 30, 2002

Idoxash · Oct 30, 2002

oops... misspost.

amdskip · Oct 30, 2002

Get a GC68 from SVC.

deerslayer · Oct 30, 2002

I have two of the GC-68's and they work very nicely for me

dszd0g · Oct 30, 2002

Originally posted by: mooseAndSquirrel
one thing I'd suggest is unplugging all components, then short the power supply connector so it'll turn on without connection to the motherboard. Now, see how loud just the power supply is. Chances are it's the main culprit. Then start adding one fan at a time and see where the noise levels go. Finally. add the hard disks (they can be noisy too). It was too hard for me to tell which component was making noise when they were all running simultaneously.

Do not do this! This will kill some power supplies. Power supplies give a range of currents that they are designed to operate, and most power supplies will not operate with 0 current being drawn. There are products on the market like Antec's power supply tester that are designed to draw a minimal amount of current so that you will not fry your power supply while testing it.

SpacemanSpiffVT · Oct 30, 2002

how hard is the gc68 to put on? can i still use the thermal pad that came with the retail heatsink?

cause my artic silver 3 is at home...................

help

would i quick easy option be to just buy 2 fans, one to replace my heatsink fan and the other for the psu fan?

thanks

jeffrey · Oct 30, 2002

You could try some pax.mate in your case.
I have only seen positive reviews for the stuff.
Link

irrigating · Oct 30, 2002

Zalmans are quiet, if you have enough space to mount it.

Zalman

here

HalfCrazy · Oct 30, 2002

My desktop system makes alot of noise but I do have 5 case fans plus the hsf. I keep the system in my room also but it don't hurt my sleeping. I could sleep even if I had a girl friend yelling at me point blank. lmao.

SpacemanSpiffVT · Oct 30, 2002

can i see some reviews of that stuff

mooseAndSquirrel · Oct 30, 2002

Originally posted by: dszd0g

Originally posted by: mooseAndSquirrel
one thing I'd suggest is unplugging all components, then short the power supply connector so it'll turn on without connection to the motherboard. Now, see how loud just the power supply is. Chances are it's the main culprit. Then start adding one fan at a time and see where the noise levels go. Finally. add the hard disks (they can be noisy too). It was too hard for me to tell which component was making noise when they were all running simultaneously.

Click to expand...

Do not do this! This will kill some power supplies. Power supplies give a range of currents that they are designed to operate, and most power supplies will not operate with 0 current being drawn. There are products on the market like Antec's power supply tester that are designed to draw a minimal amount of current so that you will not fry your power supply while testing it.

I never heard that one before and it doesn't make much sense (to me). At any rate it's drawing some power to drive the PSU fan(s). I've used this technique with 4 different power supplies (Antec, Enermax, PC Power and Cooling and some off-brand) with no ill effects. The pins to join together are well documented in a number of web sites and none of them mention any danger other than electrocuting yourself.

But I probably should have put in a disclaimer. YMMV.

dszd0g · Oct 31, 2002

Originally posted by: mooseAndSquirrel

I never heard that one before and it doesn't make much sense (to me). At any rate it's drawing some power to drive the PSU fan(s). I've used this technique with 4 different power supplies (Antec, Enermax, PC Power and Cooling and some off-brand) with no ill effects. The pins to join together are well documented in a number of web sites and none of them mention any danger other than electrocuting yourself.

But I probably should have put in a disclaimer. YMMV.

I bet you haven't taken a circuit analysis or design class? There are a lot of cases where too little is just as bad as too much.

I am not making this up.

From ATX power supply FAQ:

Make sure there is enough load connected to the power supply before testing ( at least motherboard and one hard drive)!

From Marathon Computers:

IMPORTANT: Do NOT test your power supply by turning it on before all the connections shown below have been made. Doing so will damage the iRack's power supply board.

From:
Intel's ATX / ATX12V
Power Supply Design Guide
Version 1.1

Section 3.2.3.1:

Table 10. Typical Power Distribution for a 300W ATX12V Configuration

Min Current (amps)

+3.3VDC 0.3
+5VDC 0.1

From EG365P-VE FMA ; EG465P-VE FMA:

+3.3V Min: 0.3A
+5V Min: 1.5A
+5Vsb Min: 0.1A (Stand-by)

From: Rant-O-Matic: My Fried Power Supply

The Antec ATX Power Supply Tester is a helpful gadget, as it allows testing of the power supply with a built-in 25W 5.4 ohm load to generate steady output. The ATX Power Supply tester also has the ability to put a meter on the connector to check the +5V, +3.3V and the 12V voltage output. This, along with my volt meter, have become two of the most important items in my tool case. It is sad that testing power supplies has now become such an important issue.

Now with all that said. It probably won't damage a good quality power supply. However, it definitely is not a good idea and can kill some power supplies.

dszd0g · Oct 31, 2002

Originally posted by: SpacemanSpiffVT
can i see some reviews of that stuff

Google Search for SLK-800 review

My only complaint with the SLK-800 is that the clip is really stiff and a pain to get on. I have read a few cases of people slipping with a screwdriver and killing their motherboard.

mooseAndSquirrel · Oct 31, 2002

dszd0g - gotta respect a man with the facts. I stand corrected (and feel lucky I didn't frotz my expensive PSU).

SpacemanSpiffVT · Oct 31, 2002

Originally posted by: SpacemanSpiffVT
how hard is the gc68 to put on? can i still use the thermal pad that came with the retail heatsink?

cause my artic silver 3 is at home...................

help

would i quick easy option be to just buy 2 fans, one to replace my heatsink fan and the other for the psu fan?

thanks

jrichrds · Oct 31, 2002

For those who change the PSU's fan by cutting the existing wires and splicing back together...is there a safe way to do it without soldering? I heard some people just join the wires and use electrical tape, but I don't know how safe that is considered to be.

Would cutting the wires and simply running the new fan's wires out to the motherboard's PSU fan connector be okay?

SpacemanSpiffVT · Oct 31, 2002

Originally posted by: jrichrds
For those who change the PSU's fan by cutting the existing wires and splicing back together...is there a safe way to do it without soldering? I heard some people just join the wires and use electrical tape, but I don't know how safe that is considered to be.

Would cutting the wires and simply running the new fan's wires out to the motherboard's PSU fan connector be okay?

interesting

cant take my PCs noise anymore

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